A low key vacation

So I didn’t really go anywhere exciting for summer vacation. As in I didn’t leave the country or end up on some island with nice beaches. Luckily for me, I didn’t book such a vacation, because my foot still doesn’t let me walk more than a few hours at a time without swelling a bit and then I need to rest and it goes back to its slightly swollen self the next morning.

A friend of mine went to Thailand with her parents and offered me to stay at her place in Incheon for free. I figured it was a good idea, because at least I would have a change of scenery. The scenery change was nice some days I stayed home because I walked too much the day before, other days I went traveling solo.

I don’t mind traveling solo, however, I always felt out of place being solo in restaurants and coffee shops. Those who live in Korea, would understand this statement. Most places are filled with couples or friends, not with single people sitting and eating a meal in a nice restaurant by themselves.

I was able to eat some food I haven’t had in a long time. Ihad my fill of Indian, Thai and Tibetan food.

(Thai Curry)

Tibetan Food (Thukpa and Momo)

(Indian food)

I also ate a yummy hamburger and lots of bingsoo. (Shaved ice.) So I guess my vacation centered more around food, and drinking at night occasionally followed by solo tours.

There is only one Tibetan restaurant in South Korea and it is located in Seoul off of Jongno 3ga station. The interior of the restaurant and the food reminds me of all the Tibetan restaurants I have eaten in and the homes of my Tibetan friends. To me Tibetan cuisine is comfort food.

One of the girls I met through a mutual friend took me around Incheon Central Park. It is an up and coming area with wide streets and lots of trees. It is actually quite a beautiful area and I’m sure it will be pricey later on. They are looking to to turn it into an Eco city. We ate at a brunch place and I had a gorgonzola panini and ate blueberry bingsoo .

(gorgonzola panini)

(blueberry bingsoo)

Another friend of mine took me to a secret hole in the wall bar. The owner is an awesome bartender and he made a real pina colada for me. Not like that crap I had at the last place. He only takes 8 customers at a time and doesn’t want it advertised, so I can’t say the name, haha.

Whenever I have a chance to go to Seoul, I tend to like going to the giant Kyobo bookstore at Gwanghwamoon station. They have a good Learning Korean section and a large selection of English books. I picked up two books to study for the topik exam and 3 books to use for my after school classes. I looked for a phonics book but I couldn’t quite decide and didn’t want to spend a lot of money, so I will revisit that later.

On Thursday, I headed to Itaewon with a friend and ate at the flying pan. The brunch was a little pricey for me, however, that french toast was excellent so it was worth it after all. We also went to plant, a vegan cafe, by a fellow blogger, Alien’s day out. I purchased something with apples in it and it was very good. Now that I know how to get there I will certainly go back the next time I am in Seoul.

Friday, I had a doctor’s appointment which I will write about in another post. My friend returned on Saturday and we ate a roast dinner (chicken, roasted potatoes, broccoli and carrots with gravy.) It was nice to have a home cooked meal together.

The last day I spent with my friend and her parents. We went and picked them up at their hotel in Seoul and walked around Chunggyechun and saw Gyeongbokgoong. This was my fifth time to the palace and the third time being a toward guide for it. There is always something new to see and I was talking to my friend’s stepmother about how everyone snaps a photo and leaves. No one ever stops to just look with their eyes anymore. I agreed with her on this point. I myself rarely take photos because I look with my eyes more, this is one of my biggest regrets from my trip to India in 2004.

It was a nice day and I received a nasty sunburn as a gift. I always forget to wear sun screen on cloudy days. I like to chance my fate with the sun god. I always lose. I have been back to work since Monday and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.

I didn’t see much on my vacation and I went to a lot of places I have been before. However, it was nice to have a change of scenery if only for just a week. I still spent money on food and the like, which was okay. I like to travel so I was a tad bit jealous of all the lovely travel photos being uploaded, but I hope to have a great winter vacation. So for now I will start saving for that and look forward to the days off I have ahead. I’m hoping foot finally gets rid of the swelling soon so I can be more active, but we shall wait and see.